Friday, July 9, 2004

Promoters dig in for ag expo
DUMAS - Field plots are planted, exhibitors are signing up, and High Plains Ag Expo officials are ready for a second year.

Stocks Summary
NEW YORK - Wall Street reversed a three-day slide Wednesday as investors returned to the market in search of bargains, shrugging off high-tech profit warnings and an analyst downgrade of Internet stocks.

Penney sees sales boost, raises earnings outlook
PLANO - J.C. Penney Co. reported strong June sales at its department stores, even as other retailers posted disappointing results, and it said Thursday that it was raising its outlook for earnings in the April-June quarter.

Stocks Summary
NEW YORK - Stocks resumed their decline Thursday as investors, concerned that slumping retail sales would further slow the economy, abandoned small-cap and technology shares.

Nation's retailers report mixed sales in June
NEW YORK - A slow start to summer weather and higher gas prices stifled business at many of the nation's big retailers last month, giving the overall industry a mixed sales performance.

Lay pleads innocent at hearing
HOUSTON - Former Enron Corp. CEO Kenneth Lay pleaded innocent Thursday to federal charges that he was involved in a wide-ranging scheme to deceive the public, company shareholders and government regulators about the energy company that he founded and led to industry prominence before the company's collapse.

Richardson's court case dismissed
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A federal judge Thursday dismissed Nolan Richardson's $8 million race discrimination lawsuit against the University of Arkansas but said he understood why the fired basketball coach felt the way he did.

North All-Stars defeat South in TGCA game
FORT WORTH - The North All-Stars, led by game MVP Darrice Griffin of Seagraves, never trailed in a 79-62 win over the South at the TGCA Basketball All-Star game at TCU's Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

Dear Abby: Boy, dad tussle over hair
Dear Abby: I am an almost-14-year-old boy in Iowa. My father thinks my hair is too long and says I should get a summer cut - short like his, of course. The reason, according to my mom, is adults have said how bad my hair looks. I believe if they're going to be so rude as to say that to my mom, I should keep it long to keep them mad.

Outdoor Life: Bringing indoors outside what it's all about today
This summer, some of the best seats in the house may, in fact, be out in the yard. As back yards morph into veritable outdoor rooms, complete with such indoor amenities as fireplaces, lamps, rugs and other accessories, the demand for stylish and comfortable furnishings has never been greater.

Dear Abby: Kids not always welcome at event
Dear Abby: I have read your column for years and usually agree wholeheartedly with your advice. However, I was stunned to read your reply to "On the Spot" in New Jersey, who chose not to invite her neighbor's 8- and 6-year-old children to her son's bar mitzvah.

Dr. Gott: Inverted nipples are more than health issue
Dear Dr. Gott: Your response to the 22-year-old woman with inverted nipples was uncharacteristically insensitive on your part. It was not the response I expected from the kindly country doctor you are portrayed to be. You brushed her off, suggesting that it's not an anomaly that people will whisper about across a room and that it will probably correct itself if she should ever become pregnant.

Dr. Gott: Some exercise is better than none for older people
Dear Dr. Gott: I believe that you are giving older retired people the impression that a walk around the block is significant exercise, when - in reality - a person should walk or exercise for at least 30 minutes nonstop to help heart problems or high blood pressure. Sitting around is not healthful.

Heloise: Natural products cut expenses
Dear Readers: Saving money on your cosmetics budget can be as easy as looking around the kitchen for natural beauty solutions that can be whipped up at home. Consider these:

Rangers' power show too much for Indians
CLEVELAND - In the Texas Rangers' clubhouse, manager Buck Showalter went through a familiar postgame ritual. He praised the steady relievers, the defense and a powerhouse lineup.

Power Pitcher
CLEVELAND - Ricardo Rodriguez holds no grudges against the Cleveland Indians, although his performance said otherwise.

Bonds, Blalock to join Home Run Derby
NEW YORK - Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants and Hank Blalock of the Texas Rangers were added to next week's All-Star Home Run Derby, filling out the field of eight competitors.

Sosa, Griffey, Thome in Home Run Derby
NEW YORK - Philadelphia's Jim Thome, Cincinnati's Ken Griffey Jr. and the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa will represent the National League in next week's All-Star Home Run Derby.

Color Armstrong yellow
ARRAS, France - It's the jersey Lance Armstrong covets and works so hard for: garish yellow and awarded daily to the leader of the Tour de France.

Sports Scene: Villanova punished
PHILADELPHIA - The Villanova men's basketball team was placed on two years of probation by the NCAA on Thursday for recruiting and benefits violations.

Dodsons fight like brothers for sprint car supremacy
Brothers Kyle and Zach Dodson have always been close, but that word has a new meaning as only 30 points separate the two racers in their respective bids for the sprint car championship at Amarillo's Route 66 Motor Speedway.

Area notables featured in Texas Football
Texas Football magazine hit local newsstands this week and for the second consecutive year, it'll cost you more than a $10 bill - after taxes - to purchase a copy.

Armstrong loses lead
CHARTRES, France - Lance Armstrong gave up two things at the Tour de France on Thursday: the yellow jersey and a chance to ride at the Athens Olympics.

Teens' success in NBA draft sends message
INDIANAPOLIS - When Louis Williams saw two of his high school opponents selected in last month's NBA draft, he wondered if he could make the jump to the pros, too.

Lakers likely to tab Rudy T.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - The Los Angeles Lakers remained without a coach late Wednesday, but the hiring of Rudy Tomjanovich appeared imminent.

Plant blast likely accidental
PAMPA - A preliminary investigation into an explosion that killed a Pampa woman Tuesday indicates the blast was accidental, likely caused by a spark that ignited chemicals.

Call To Action: Girl Scouts
Attention Adults. Are you good at teaching others? Love to work with adults? Certified trainer at your company? Girl Scouts is in search of volunteer trainers. We offer a flexible schedule, fun environment and an opportunity to meet new people.

OSU to pay Texas Tech $40,000 for software use
TULSA, Okla. - Oklahoma State University will pay Texas Tech University $40,000 to license software former OSU employees had used without authorization for months, a Tech official said Thursday.

Texas Guard is called up
About 3,000 Texas National Guard members, including units from Amarillo, Pampa, Plainview, Wellington, Lubbock and Midland have been called up by the U.S. Army, officials said Thursday.

2 missionaries injured in rollover
GROOM - A minivan carrying six missionaries from California skidded into the median and rolled over Wednesday afternoon after the driver tried to pass a tractor-trailer on Interstate 40.

HPISD prepares for bond election
If August's bond election passes, homeowners in the Highland Park Independent School District would face a maximum 2-cent property tax rate increase, district officials said Thursday.

Cross Bar to open to public
Seventy-four years after the federal government acquired the Cross Bar Ranch in Potter County, its 12,000 acres are about to be formally opened to the public - if you're willing to jump through a few hoops.

Pantex hits the pits in repackaging
Pantex Plant should finish repackaging thousands of plutonium pits into safer containers in about two years, a Pantex official said Thursday as the plant announced it repackaged its 10,000th pit this week.

Police seek man in car battery theft
A man at Lester Motor Company, 1104 S. Grand St., was injured Wednesday after a man stealing car batteries backed a car into him while attempting to flee the business.

Amarillo Voices: Liberal finally going bare-fisted with neo-cons
I've read several letters in the paper regarding Michael Moore's new movie, "Fahrenheit 9/11."I haven't seen the film, but I did look at Moore's Web site and have read some of his work in other publications. I think I have a pretty good idea about the man's opinion regarding our current president.

Editorial: Hearing shows how mighty fall
Saddam Hussein's hearing before a thirty-something judge somewhere in Iraq the other day brought to mind how far the mighty can and - in Saddam's case - must fall.

Editorial: Job well done for John Ward
John Ward's last day as Amarillo city manager has arrived. For the past 21 years, he has served the city as its chief executive officer, ranch foreman and all-round troubleshooter. He now heads for the private sector, where he will face no less a rigorous challenge: running a multimillion-dollar pharmaceutical company, Amarillo-based Maxor. The difference, of course, is that now he operates out of the glare of the public eye.

Lay: I'm indicted
HOUSTON - Former Enron Corp. chairman and CEO Kenneth Lay acknowledged Wednesday that he has been indicted on criminal charges related to the energy company's collapse and asserted his innocence.

Stinky Blossom
David Creech, horticulture professor and arboretum director at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, measures Jack, an amorphophallus titanum or corpse flower, Tuesday in a greenhouse at SFA.

Bush touts plan for immigration
SAN ANTONIO - President Bush told the nation's largest Hispanic rights group Thursday that America should make a place, albeit a temporary one, for a huge number of immigrants now working illegally in the country.

Today in History
In 1540, England's King Henry VIII had his six-month-old marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, annulled.

Israeli author, playwright dies
JERUSALEM - Samir Naqqash, an Israeli author and playwright who wrote almost exclusively in the Arabic of his native Iraq, died Tuesday of a heart attack, family friends said.

Today in History
In 1663, King Charles II of England granted a charter to Rhode Island.

Former N.M. lawmaker dies
CLOUDCROFT, N.M. - John Mershon, once one of New Mexico's most powerful legislators as head of finance committees, has died. He was 95.

Teen accused of murders at ranch claims he killed after repeated abuse
HONDO, N.M. - A 14-year-old boy accused in a triple-murder on newsman Sam Donaldson's ranch told police he took a gun from the barn and shot his family after being repeatedly beaten by his father - including once with a shovel during the July Fourth weekend, according to the man who took care of the teenager for two days before his arrest.

Motherly Love
Kianga, the second African elephant calf born at Disney's Animal Kingdom, arrived June 7 at 33 inches high and 230 pounds. "African elephants are endangered and difficult to breed.

Here Fishy Fishy Fishy
Dakota Roberts, right, reaches for his fishing pole after his mother, Ann, cast it for him as the two participate Thursday in the Kiddie Fishing Derby in Lampasas.

In The World: Israeli leader will open talks with Labor Party
JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Thursday said he will open talks with the opposition Labor Party to form a broad coalition government, a union that would give the Israeli leader much-needed support as he pushes forward with his contentious Gaza withdrawal plan.

Several trampled in Pamplona run
PAMPLONA, Spain - Several people were trampled but not seriously hurt Wednesday as thousands took part in the first bull run of the San Fermin festival, dashing along the slippery cobblestone streets of this ancient city in northern Spain.

5 soldiers die in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi insurgents detonated a car bomb and then hammered a military headquarters in the city of Samarra with a mortar barrage Thursday.

Eye on the Ball
Keith Kowalski helps Colin Mezzacapo, 10, retrieve a foul ball Thursday in the bottom of the fifth inning of the Trenton Thunder AA baseball game in Trenton, N.J.

Health chief resigns over SARS epidemic
HONG KONG - Bowing to pressure over a slow, sloppy response to SARS, Hong Kong's health secretary resigned Wednesday to take blame for the crisis that killed hundreds and caused months of uncertainty and fear in the territory.

Israel snubs Mideast mediators
JERUSALEM - Israel snubbed a delegation of Mideast mediators that had come to discuss its planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, officials said Wednesday, further undermining efforts to promote an internationally backed peace plan for the region.

House stands by Bush, keeps Patriot Act
WASHINGTON - The Republican-led House bowed to a White House veto threat Thursday and stood by the USA Patriot Act, defeating an effort to block the part of the anti-terrorism law that helps the government investigate people's reading habits.

Across The Nation: Fire department blamed in high-rise fire
CHICAGO - The commission investigating a fire that killed six people in a high-rise county building accused the Chicago Fire Department on Wednesday of a series of blunders that may have cost lives, including the mishandling of 911 calls about victims trapped in a smoky stairwell.

Americans arrested in Kabul
KABUL, Afghanistan - Three Americans arrested in Afghanistan were on a self-appointed counterterrorism mission that included abusing eight inmates in a private jail by hanging them by their feet, Afghan officials said Thursday.

Hill reconsiders toll road policy
WASHINGTON - After decades of rejecting tolls on highways built with federal money, Congress is edging toward a decision to give states broad authority to levy tolls as a way to relieve traffic congestion and raise funds for road building and transportation.

Marine turns up in Beirut
BEIRUT, Lebanon - A U.S. Marine whose apparent kidnapping in Iraq was followed by conflicting claims - first that he was beheaded, then that he was alive - contacted U.S. authorities Thursday and was safe in his native Lebanon.

Tycoon offers shares to settle back taxes
MOSCOW - Jailed billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky told the Yukos board it should use his shares to settle a back taxes claim that threatens to bankrupt the giant oil company he once headed, his lawyer said Wednesday.

New show hints at sci-fi 'what ifs'
NEW YORK - What if? For a science fiction program, those two words are the starting point - and the answer tells whether the show has a future.

Trial starts in USS Cole bombing
SAN'A, Yemen - A security court charged six alleged al-Qaida members Wednesday with plotting the attack on the USS Cole, opening the first trial in the suicide bombing that killed 17 American sailors. Among the defendants is reputed mastermind Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.

NBC to air prime-time convention coverage
NEW YORK - NBC will air one hour of prime-time coverage on three nights of the Democratic and Republican national conventions this summer, the network's news division said Thursday.

Vermeer sells for $30 million
LONDON - The first painting by the Dutch Old Master Johannes Vermeer to be sold at an auction in decades was bought for more than $30 million Wednesday.

Study signals HIV hope
WASHINGTON - Offering a promising new way to attack the AIDS virus, research on monkeys suggests that an experimental drug helps keep HIV in check by blocking an enzyme that is crucial to infection.

The Gift of Art
Lady Bird Johnson, widow of President Johnson, gives a French impressionist painting by Armand Guillaumin as a personal gift in honor of Jack Blanton to the University of Texas Blanton Museum on Tuesday.

Airport experiments with security
MINNEAPOLIS - Select airline passengers breezed through security Wednesday at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in the start of an experiment to ease delays and make flying a little more agreeable.

Suspected terrorists begin appeal in England
LONDON - Lawyers for eight suspected terrorists told a court Wednesday they fear the men may have been jailed on evidence obtained through the torture of suspects at U.S. detention camps.

Across The Nation: Official testifies in U.S. Capitol evacuation case
WASHINGTON - A top official at the Federal Aviation Administration testified Thursday that protections are now in place to prevent the kind of harrowing incident that forced the evacuation of the Capitol last month after a plane carrying Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher entered unrestricted airspace.

Millionaires vying to be president
WASHINGTON - Americans have a choice in November - millionaires John Kerry and John Edwards, or millionaires George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

Check This Out
PAYSON, Utah - The idea of giving away a bakery to the best essayist was half-baked.

Democrats target Florida
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and running mate John Edwards sought to rally voters in Florida on Thursday by recalling the recount dispute in 2000 that tipped the election to George W. Bush.